Partnership

Week 6

Percentage increase

Waitrose

Managing Director: Rob Collins
Retail Director: Ben Stimson

Percentage increase

Week 6 vs 2017-18

14.2

6 weeks vs 2017-18

5.6

Week 6 vs 2016-17

14.8

6 weeks vs 2016-17

4.7

Divisional sales excluding fuel were up 14.3% compared to the same week last year. This benefited from the fall of Mother's Day which fell during a different trading week last year, as well as shoppers stocking up after many areas of the U.K. thawed out.

Shoppers bought a wide variety of treats for Mother's Day, with sales of boxed chocolates rising by 51%, flowers by 114%, gin by 62% and wine by 23.5%.

With much of the country still seeing chilly temperatures, shoppers continued to stock up on warming comfort food. Sales of hot pies grew by 26% and chilled soups by 16%.

Martin George
Customer Director, Waitrose

Category Summary

Week 6

Up to week 6

Ambient

16.8

6.2

Chilled, Fruit, Veg & Hort., Bakery, Meat, Fish, Frozen and Dairy

10.9

2.9

Home & General Merchandise

32.5

3.0

John Lewis

Managing Director: Paula Nickolds

Percentage increase

Week 6 vs 2017-18

11.6

6 weeks vs 2017-18

-0.4

Week 6 vs 2016-17

19.4

6 weeks vs 2016-17

1.1

Total sales for the week were up 11.6%, largely driven by gifting as a result of Mothers Day falling two weeks earlier versus last year.

Fashion sales were up 17.9%. Womenswear grew by 17.7% with own-brand and cashmere performing strongly. Beauty also had a good week, with fragrance a particular standout at +62%.

Home was up 3.9%. Gifting, cook and dine saw sales rise by 35.2% as customers purchased treats ahead of Mother's Day on Sunday, and stationery also saw double digit growth. Elsewhere, decorative accessories were up 10%.

Electricals and Home Technology sales were up 13.3%. Small electricals, including coffee machines and food prep, had a good week driven by strong Mother's Day sales. Vision also performed well, with TVs, stands and mounts, and soundbars all up on last year.

Looking ahead, this week we have some exciting new technology launches with the next generation Dyson V10 cordless vacuum cleaner and the Samsung S9 mobile phone going on sale.